Whenever you come around
by Nienna Tinuviel
Summary: updated...mainly just a new A/N...but need your opinion on something to anyone who hasn't read it it's a J/R fic, to the song "Whenever you come around"


"Whenever You come around" A songfic, using the song "Whenever you come around" By Vince Gill, it just reminded me so much of how Joey looks at Rachel.  
  
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. I'm just reposting.had to make some changes, but not to the actual story. And did anyone see the plot line coming up for this week? Joey and Rachel *sigh* anyway, thank you all three of you who reviewed, sorry they got erased.really need to change something though. I might try to write a sequel from this.so please if you could tell me if it needs one, or if this is a good story line to continue! Thanks!  
  
Rated: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Friends, though I wish I did.  
  
Synopsis: Joey/Rachel, from Joey's POV. Right after Rachel comes back to live with Joey after Ross and her fight.  
  
~*~*~*~* The face of an angel  
  
Pretty eyes that shine  
  
I lie awake at night  
  
Wishing you were mine  
  
I'm standing here holding  
  
The biggest heartache in town  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
She showed up at my door that night, and I wasn't expecting it at all. She came in asking if she could stay a few days, Ross and her just had a really big fight. She was holding Emma, and she looked about ready to break down crying. I said sure, and she gave me a hug and walked in.  
  
I can't believe what has happened the past few months. I can't believe I pretend not to feel anymore. I promised Ross I wouldn't feel anything for her, that I'd gotten over her, but I haven't. I don't know if I ever will.  
  
She walks over and sits in one of the chairs and starts crying, and it was too much for me.  
  
"Rach, don't cry, please don't cry," I said.  
  
"It's just, he's such a-such a-" she says between gulping sobs.  
  
"It's ok," I walk over and whisper, taking her in my arms, and trying to ignore the pain that fills me, knowing how natural this feels, but also how forbidden.  
  
"Oh Joey, I just don't know what to do," she said.  
  
"Just be calm. You can stay here as long as you need."  
  
She looks into my eyes, her blue ones have a depth I wish I could know, and she says, "Thank you so much, Joey."  
  
I get weak in the knees  
  
And I lose my breath  
  
Oh I try to speak  
  
The words won't come  
  
I'm so scared to death  
  
When you smile that smile  
  
My world turns upside-down  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
She lays still for awhile, and she says, "I'm gonna go to be, Joey, honey, thank you so much for letting me stay here."  
  
"No problem," I say.  
  
"Good night," she says, taking Emma and walking into her room. "Night," I whisper to the closed door.  
  
*~*~*~*~  
  
That next day, she woke up much in the same state. She took care of Emma and I think I surprised her when she realized I knew more about babies than I first let on. I don't have six sisters for nothing.  
  
"I'll be back around four," she said to me, and walked out the door, and I can't think of anything graceful to say, so I say, "Ok! Bye!"  
  
She's Ross's girl, why do I let her affect me this way? She'll never love me. Ross and her are lobsters, Rachel and I will forever be best friends. I've shared so much with her, and I know her so well, it's almost that I can't tell her. It would be too weird.  
  
But somehow she does affect me. I'm just sitting at home, when Chandler walks in, and starts to say, "Hey, Joe, you want to-Wait, what's wrong?" he finishes.  
  
"Rachel came over last night."  
  
"I know," he says, "Monica told me. Something like she and Ross had a horrible fight or something."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, she's back here now, why do you look like someone told you Santa Claus isn't real?"  
  
"Santa Claus isn't real?!" I ask with alarm.  
  
"Of course he's real, Joe," Chandler replies slowly, giving me a look, and sitting on the counter.  
  
"Oh good," I said.  
  
"Anyway, back to this Rachel thing."  
  
"Yeah," I say.  
  
"Why are you so-Oh My God! Joey you don't still." his voice trails off.  
  
"What?" I say.  
  
"You're still in love with her," Chandler said.  
  
I guess my face gave me away, because I was about to say, "No that's crazy" when Chandler said, "Oh MY God, you never got over her! You still love her, and now she's over here torturing you again! Oh My God!"  
  
"Guilty," I said.  
  
"OH MY GOD!" he said, "I was joking!"  
  
"WHAT?!" I said.  
  
"You're really still in love with her?!" he asks.  
  
"Yeah," I said, "The thing is, what do I do about it?"  
  
Chandler looks down for a bit. Then he says, "Well, Joe, I think you need to tell her."  
  
"I've told her, before, she said no."  
  
"That was over a year ago, Joe, things might have changed."  
  
"I don't think so, Chandler, she's still in love with Ross," I say.  
  
"Ok, then riddle me this," he said, getting up and crossing his arms, "If she loves him so much, why did they have a knock down, drag out fight last night?"  
  
"Chandler, everyone fights," I start to say.  
  
"I'm not done! After they fought, how come she came straight here? She could have gone to Monica and I, we were just as close, and Phoebe was closer than any of us. She came HERE. She came to YOU, Joey, she came to your place."  
  
"Well I have an extra bedroom," I explain.  
  
"So do Monica and I, and so does Phoebe! Joey, deny it as much as you want, something's there. She came straight to you. And I don't think you can deny these feelings anymore. You have to tell her."  
  
"When?" I ask.  
  
"Tonight," he replies. "Take her somewhere and just tell her."  
  
"What if she says no?"  
  
"Then you're no better off than you are now. But if she says yes, Joey, you will be so glad you took this chance." I look down, not saying anything.  
  
"I gotta go," he says, "But look, just tell her, get it out in the open."  
  
"Alright, "I said.  
  
Then Chandler left.  
  
I feel so helpless  
  
I feel just like a kid  
  
What is it about you  
  
That makes me keep my feelings hid  
  
I wish I could tell you  
  
But the words can't be found  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
Four o clock rolls around, and I'm nervous as all living hell. I have a plan, and it's not very good, but it's good enough. It's just a simple thing. A dinner of Chinese food here, then Monica comes over and takes Emma, and I take Rachel to a small park and tell her there.  
  
I'm praying, which is something I don't do often, that everything goes well.  
  
4:05, and she's here.  
  
"I got dinner," I said.  
  
"Oh, great! Thanks! Chinese food! My favorite! Joey.thank you so much!"  
  
"You're welcome," I say, smiling, and she smiles back, and she settles down at the counter and digs in. I do the same. "How was work?" I ask.  
  
"Great! I didn't think about anything but clothes all day!" she said.  
  
"That's good," I say, wishing my day had been that easy.  
  
Dinner's over, step one completed without a hitch. Monica comes in exactly on time.  
  
"Rach, let me take Emma for awhile, you could use a break from her." She says.  
  
"Monica, I haven't seen her all day."  
  
Emma then begins to cry, and for one time in my life I think her cries are a God sent. Rachel hands Emma over to Monica, and I turn to Rachel. This is it-well-kind of.  
  
"Wanna go for a walk?" I ask.  
  
"Oh, I'd love to!" she says, "I haven't been able to get out for a walk without Emma in awhile. Do you think she'll be ok at Monica's?"  
  
"She'll be fine," I say. I hold out my hand, and she takes it, and we start our walk.  
  
The closer we get to the park, the longer the distance seems, but we eventually make it, and we end up on the swings. She swings high as she can, he hair streaming out behind her, and she looks as beautiful as she ever does.  
  
I get weak in the knees  
  
And I lose my breath  
  
Oh I try to speak  
  
The words won't come  
  
I'm so scared to death  
  
When you smile that smile  
  
My world turns upside-down  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
After the swinging spree is over Rachel turns to me. The sun is just going down, and it's just getting dark.  
  
"Joey?" she asks.  
  
"Yeah?" I say, turning toward her.  
  
"Thanks," she says.  
  
"For what?" I ask  
  
"For making me feel happier than I've been in awhile."  
  
"You're welcome." I say.  
  
She takes a deep breath, and says, "Joey, what's wrong?"  
  
"What?" I ask  
  
"You're being so distant. I've never seen you this distant from me before."  
  
I take a deep breath. This is it. This is the moment that I've waited seven hours for.  
  
"Rachel, look, I don't know what it is about you, or why I'm even saying this, but when you showed up on my doorstep last night you made me happier than I'd been in awhile"  
  
"Ok," she says slowly, not understanding.  
  
"Rachel." I begin. Then I stop and look down.  
  
"Joey?" she says questioningly.  
  
I look up at her, into her eyes. Then I know. It's now or never.  
  
"I love you, Rachel Green." I said.  
  
She was silent. "Still?" she says.  
  
"I was stupid to tell you. I'm gonna kill Chandler!" I said. Then I got up and began to walk away.  
  
"Joey, no!" She called. Then before I knew it she was grabbing my hand, and leading me back to the swings. "Let's talk about this," she said.  
  
"Why? It's not like you feel the same!" I say.  
  
"How do you know that?" she asks me, and we sit down again. "What?" I say.  
  
"Joey," she says, smiling, "I love you."  
  
And when you smile that smile  
  
My world turns upside-down  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
For a minute I thought I went deaf.  
  
"You do?" I ask, incredulous.  
  
"Yes," she said, tears in her eyes, "That's why I came to your place last night. On a hope that you still loved me and would take me in. Joey, I don't know when it happened to me but I was sitting there one day, and it was after you told me that the proposal was an accident, and when you said that, I realized how much I would have loved spending my life with you. I all of a sudden knew it, Joey, that I wanted to be with you."  
  
"Really?" I ask, my own eyes almost coming to tears.  
  
"Yes," she says, and before I know it, before it felt like I even moved, I'm kissing her and she's kissing back, sitting there on the swings. My fingers go through her hair like it's the most wonderful thing they've ever felt, and her arms are around my neck, pulling me closer and closer.  
  
When we finally break away, I take her hand tightly in mine, and as we're walking, she leans her head on my shoulder. I'm not thinking about anything else but this angel who is now my own angel, this angel who I never thought could love me. This angel who I could love forever standing by my side, and when we get to the doorstep of our building I kiss her once again, this once the slower, more passionate kiss of two people who love each other. And even after I tell her, I still think she's beautiful, she still makes my knees weak, and she's still the love of my life.  
  
Whenever you come around  
  
~fin~ 


End file.
